First-year Roots head coach Juan Guerra was placed on administrative leave by the team after reportedly engaging in discussions with fellow USL Championship team Phoenix Rising about the club’s head coaching position.
This afternoon the team released the following statement via Twitter: “Oakland Roots have named current assistant coach Noah Delgado as interim head coach and placed Juan Guerra on administrative leave. The club will have no further comment at this time.”
According to reports and sources, Guerra’s administrative leave was because of unsanctioned contact with Phoenix Rising about their vacant head coaching position, which runs counter to USL Championship league anti-tampering bylaws. Just yesterday, Rising fired head coach Rick Schantz after a disappointing season. As one of the biggest spending clubs in the USL, Phoenix commonly ranks near the top of the league standings. However, this year the club has struggled and sits just outside the last place position in the playoffs.
Oakland picked Guerra to guide a squad that advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2021. The Roots chose him over more seasoned options based on his potential despite his lack of experience.
A former Venezuelan international, Guerra played for ten years professionally in Venezuela and America in NASL and USL before hanging up his cleats in 2018. He then served as an assistant coach for Indy Eleven and last year for Phoenix Rising.
Oakland has struggled on the field all season, having won only two games in a row once and drawn twelve of their twenty-five games.
Roots Interim head coach Noah Delgado is the only coach that was not brought to the club by Guerra. The team did not disclose the status of the other assistant coaches.
Oakland remains four points back from the final playoff position, and it will be interesting to see how the squad responds to Guerra’s removal from the head coaching position. Their next game is against San Diego Loyal next Wed. Aug 24.
